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Reflecting on Haiti (Pt. 4)

The last three posts on Haiti focused a lot on praying for the people of Haiti. But I’m going to switch gears today and tell you about one of the most powerful moments of our entire week in Haiti. It’s here, pictured above.

The final morning in Haiti is a blur, a mass give-away of any remaining candy, toothpaste, soap, shoes, anything handed to the eager hands of the children from the village. The entire week, all that your eyes have seen and heart experiences, ends on this one final note- I won’t lie, it’s chaos. Excitement and survival mingle together, all of the children calling your name, holding their hands out for anything you have to offer.

In my first post reflecting on Haiti, I wrote “one thing I learned about Haiti: just as the hurts, the poverty, and hopelessness start to overwhelm, a hidden beauty bursts forth…” That last morning, I was starting to feel overwhelmed again. Small tiny hands reaching from all directions, yet I knew that their requests were so small in comparison to our true desire for them, for their eternity. But even the smallest acts of kindness can open doors for the gospel.

As we hugged and said our last goodbyes, our hands emptied and theirs filled for the time being, I felt the hand of one of the young boys on my shoulder.

“Lisa, we pray now…” He folded his hands and pointed to a circle that was forming around our team. “We pray…”

My throat tightened as he led me into the the circle, glancing at one of my team members who looked just as shocked. This was something that has never happened before with our teams to Haiti.

There it was: Hidden beauty, bursting forth.

There we stood, 50 strong, the village kids and the Haiti team from Lititz. A young man who grew up at House of Hope, Rolex, who now helps at the Institute and is a friend to many of us who’ve gone to Haiti, led the group in prayer. Tiny hands, reaching from all directions to hold ours, resting on our shoulders and legs as Rolex thanked God for their time with us and asked for our safe return home. For me, this was the most powerful moment of the trip: receiving the prayers from the children of the village, seeing God at work in their hearts, and in Haiti.

*Applications for the next trip (June 20-27) are available now at the missions table in the church lobby and online.*